Safety device for elevators.



No. 683,677. Patented Oct. 1, mm; c. w. BALDWIN.

SAFETY DEVICE F0? ELEVATORS. {Application filed. in 31, 1898.)

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet.

3m: Mamas vzrzns cu, PHOTG-LITHOJ'WASHINGTON, 04 c.

No. 683,677. Patented Oct. I, l90l.

C. W. BALDWIN.

SAFETY DEVICE FOR ELEVATORS.

(Applicatiun filed mm. 31, 1898.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

11041 Mason 7 I k 7i WW3 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CYRUS W. BALDWIN, OF YONKERS, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO THE OTIS ELEVATOR COMPANY, OF EAST ORANGE,

NEW JERSEY.

SAFETY DEVICE FOR ELEVATORS.

SPECIFICATION fornfing part of Letters Patent No. 683,677, dated October 1, 1901. Application filed January 31,1898. Serial No. 668,631. (No model.)

elevator cages or platforms; and it consists.

of a contact-piece and means for holding it normally out of contact with the guide and means for resisting the movement of the contact-piece in either direction after it isthrown in contact with the guide, all as fully set forth hereinafter, whereby whether the cage be moving in one direction or the other the contact of the contact-piece with the guide will cause a constantly-increasing resistance to the movement of the cage, and finally, ifv

necessary, bring it to a state of rest, all as fully set forth hereinafter and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings,in which- Figure 1 is a vertical elevation showing part of one of the guidesand of the platform of an elevator apparatus with one of the clamps of the safety device in part section. Fig. 2 is an inverted plan View of the parts shown in Fig. 1.

The cage or platform X is constructed in any suitable manner and combined with any suitable appliances for raising and lowering the same.

At each side of the well is a guide F of usual construction, and with each guide cooperates a clamping device. As shown each clamping device has a bracket A, with a rib 12 parallel to one side of the guide F, and at the opp'ositeside of the said guide F are two diverging faces 3 3, and between these faces and the opposite face of the guide F is inter posed a contact-piece, which may be a roller 0, as shown in the drawings, either plain or serrated, but preferably serrated, or it may be a block with a serrated face. Above and below the block between the guide and the faces 3 3 are pivoted at y y two arms D D, constituting bearings for the contactpiece 0, as set forth hereinafter, and forced against the inner side of the latter by springs 6 6, which may be adjusted to any desired degree of tension by set-screws 13 13. Normally when the contact-piece C is out of contact with the guide the inner edges of the bearing-arms D D are out of contact with the edges 3 3 of the bracket A, as shown in Fig. 1. Any suitable means may be employed for holding the contact-piece C out of contact with the face of the guide F, maintaining the bearing-arms D D in their retracted position and the springs 6 6 under compression. As shown, the contact-piece 0 when in the form of a roller is upon a pin 4, projecting from an arm E, connected at the rear end to the pin of a crank 5 upon a shaft B, having its bearings beneath,the platform of the cage, and around which shaft there is coiled a spring 9, one end bearing in a socket upon a collar 10, clamped to the shaft B, and the other in a socket in one of the fixed bearings upon the cage. The spring 9 is so arranged as to normally tend to turn the shaft B in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 1, sovas to lift the crank-pin. i of they crank 5 above the axis of the shaft 1), thereby permitting the springs 6 6 to force the bearing-arms D D and the contact-piece C with them toward the opposite face of the guide F. When this takes place, whether the car is moving either up or down, the frictional adhesion of the contact-piece G to the face of the guide causes the said contact-piece to move in between the guide and one of the bearing-arms D, the edge of whichis then inclined, compressing the springs 6 6 more and more with a gradually-increasing resistance until the speed of the car is reduced to the proper extent or, perhaps, its movement arrested altogether. Should the cage be under such headway at the time the brake isapplied that the compression of the springs 6 is not sufficient to arrest the movement of the cage, this compression will continue, the bearing-arm D being gradually forced back until the arm D is brought against the inclined bearing edge 3 and the contact-piece O is wedged between the arm D and the opposite face of the guide, thus bringing the cage absolutely to a stop. In order to insure in case of the cage acquiring undue speed that the clamps shall at pose; but, as shown, I provide the shaft 13 once be applied instead of providing means whereby the operator applies the clamps, I make use of the automatic devices heretofore described-as, for instance, the spring 9, which is normally under such tension as to throw the shaft B around and cause the clamp to be applied-and I provide means whereby the operator must constantly hold the parts out of operative position, so that the moment he ceases to do so the clamp will be applied. Various appliances may be used for thispurwith an additional crank, or I extend the crank-pin 'i to receive thelower end of a rod J, which extends upward through the floor of the cage and is provided with a footpiece 7, upon which the operator keeps his foot at all times, except when the clamps are to be applied..

While I prefer to make use of the additional, features of the bearing-faces 3 3, it will be. evident that these may be dispensed with, es pecially for light cages, using heavysprings 6 6, which will under great compression exert sufficient resistance to cause the contact-piece to be wedged so firmly between the bearings D D and the guide as to arrest the movement of the cage.

Without limiting my self tothe precise construction and arrangement of parts shown, I claim as my invention '1. The combination with an elevator-car and its guide, of a contact-piece arranged upon the cars and adapted to'move' in either direction from a central position, means for applying a constantly-increasing resistance to such movement in either direction, and means for normally holding-the contact-piece.

out of contact with the guide, substantially as setforth. V r

2. Thecombination with an elevator-car and its. guide, of a contact-piece arranged upon the car and adapted to move in either direction froma central position, and means for applying a constantly-increasing resist-v ance tofsuch movement inreither direction, substantially asset forth. a

3. The combination with an elevator cage or platform and its guide, of a contact-piece adapted to move in either direction from a central position, means for resisting themovement in either direction to the constantlychanging resistance, and means controlled by the operator within the car for-normally holding the contact-piece out of contact with the guide, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination with anelevator car orv platform and its guide, of a contact-piece adapted vtov move in either direction from a centralposition, means forresistingthe move: ment in either direction to the constantlyeasier? changingresistance, and means forautomatically throwing the contact-piece into engagement with the guide,substantially as set forth.

5. The combination with an elevator-car and its guide, of a contact-piece, means for holding the contact -piece normally out of contact with the guide, movable bearings for the contact-piece on oppositesides of the normal position of the contact-piece, and springs arranged to resist the movements of the said bearings under the pressure of the contactpiece, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination of a car, guide, clamping device, provided with a contact-piece, means for holding the contact-piece normally outof contact with the guide, movable springactuated bearings bearing against the contact-piece to carry it toward the guide,and.

fixed inclined bearings ;3,: 3,;-arranged atran angle to the guide, substantiallyas set-forth;

'7. The combination ,of a car, guide, clamping device, provided with a contactpiece, a means for holding the contact-piece normally I out of contact with the guide, of movable spring-actuated arms above and belowsthe central position of the contact =piece;and

bearing-against thecontact-pieceto carryit towardthe guide, andfixed inclinedbearings;

arranged at an angle to theguide, substanttially a's set forth,

8. The combination of-the car,gu;ide,,a:con- Y tact-piece, and :meansfor holding the same normally out of contact with theiguideundertv control of the operator. in the car, movable. bearingsfor the contact-piece andsprings for forcing the said bearin gs against the contact-1' piece, substantially as set forth.

9. The combination withwthecage orrplata form, of a guide, a contact-pieceiin the-form,- of aroller, movable. bearings arranged to bear against said rollerat the sides away from saiduguide, springs pressing ,against each bearing at itsside' away from-said. roller, means for holding each guide-roller-normally out of contact with the guide, and means for throwing it in contact with the guide.

10. The combinationwith an elevator-car audits guide, of a contact-piece, means. for

holding the contact -vpiece normally out of contact with the guide, movable bearingsfor the contact-piece, and springs bearing against said movable bearings, substantially aside:

scribed,

In .testimonylwhereof I have signed vtmy name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

' CYRUS W. BALDWIN;

Witnesses:

GUY R. STEPHENS, A. E. SCHULTZ. 

